


The True Video Diaries

by RurouniHime



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Angst and Humor, Character Bleed, Community: fandomaid, First Kiss, M/M, RPF, video diaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-21
Updated: 2011-07-21
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:58:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RurouniHime/pseuds/RurouniHime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bradley is bored. Bradley has a camera. You do the math.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The True Video Diaries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [simplelyric](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=simplelyric).



> Thank you so much, simplelyric, for your generous donation to the aid efforts in Queensland, Australia! You are wonderful, and so patient! I hope this fic hits the spot.

_Day 3_

“All right, here’s the _real_ scoop,” Bradley says. The camera’s out of focus again; he adjusts the lens. “Colin always messes up the focus. With his face.”

Colin is a minute gone, shuffling down the hall yawning widely enough to swallow small birds. Bradley gives the camera a close up of his own shiny teeth.

“The true video diaries include this little tidbit: I’m in love with Colin Morgan. There you have it, fangirls and boys, a once in a lifetime confessional, not to be retweeted. Ba dum _psh!_ ” He mimes a rimshot. “Okay. So. Don’t tell him, any of you.”

 

 _Day 6_

“The truth is, boys and girls, that Colin is a really serious actor. And he’s a _method_ actor. He comes over and cleans my toilet every day to get into character. It’s creepy.”

“Wouldn’t touch your toilet.”

“Don’t deny it, Colin, it’s rude to lie to your fans.”

Colin waves. “Hi, fans.”

When Alice calls Colin over to reblock a shot for the third time, Bradley switches out the tapes and starts whispering. “He’s amazing, people. He really is. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone so gorgeous in my entire twenty eight years. I want to lick his jaw.”

Katie bumps into him from behind. “Ooh, sorry. Oh, hi! Hi!” She waves at the camera and jumps up and down. _“Hi!”_

Bradley shoves her away. “Oh, get on, you evil tart.”

Katie swoops in and plants a huge smacker on his cheek. “Hiiiiiii,” she breathes against his face.

“Ewwww, McGrath.”

Katie saunters away cackling.

“Yes, fans, we’ll be deleting that traumatic assault on my person just as soon as I figure out how.”

 

 _Day 11_

“He mumbles nonsense in his sleep. I can’t understand a word of it, but his voice gets very soft and his accent gets thick and on long car rides, he falls asleep on my shoulder and I feel like he’s whispering in my ear. Directly to me. It’s a good feeling and I wish I could understand what he’s saying. Sometimes I make up a translation and he’s telling me how much he likes being with me. Also that drooling on me is his number one choice of recreational activity.”

 

 _Day 13_

“You want to what?”

Colin blinks and waves the script at him. “Go over this scene.”

Bradley blinks back. “I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. Cheeseburger?”

“That would be a no.” Colin pushes Bradley’s offering away. Bradley stuffs half of it into his mouth and licks his fingers.

“More for me.”

“Put the camera down? Please?”

“What’sa matter, Morgan? Shy?” Bradley sets the camera down on the table and arranges it until it’s pointed right at him. “Here, let’s tape it, then we can nitpick all my flaws.”

Colin smiles at him. It’s slow and sweet and like day breaking.

 

 _Day 16_

“He’s been a little off-color lately, I don’t know. The weather’s been stupid, but then again, we should be used to it. We’re from England. And we’re from Northern Ireland. See the ‘we’? Solidarity there. I like to think I can share his burdensome existence. He’s so spindly sometimes I think the weight might break him. Ha. Haaaaaa.

“I found him the complete set of the Cold War Kids. His birthday’s coming up. But it’s not really something I feel I can get him. Says too much. I don’t know. He plays it so close to the chest and I only know he likes them because he was moping around the other night about—Yeah, it’s not… not something I can just _give_ him. You know? Does this make any sense?

“I also found this knitted hat. His ears and his hands get cold, and he’s got gloves, but the hat kind of matches and he’s a real berk when he’s freezing. So that’s what I’m going to give him.”

 

 _Day 20_

“Boys and girls.” The traffic’s too loud outside, but it’s too hot to close the windows. Bradley sighs. “I think he’s on a date. I didn’t pry because contrary to popular belief, I’m not nosy. I’m also a coward. And furious.”

It’s past dinnertime, way past. Colin’s room is still silent next door.

Bradley looks into the camera. “He doesn’t even know I like guys. I like guys and girls, you know. More fish in the sea. Personally, I don’t see why people have a problem with being bi. If they just look at it logically, it’s really a positive thing. I always thought so. And I was… you know. Pretty sure I’d found the catch of my life.”

The camera stares back at him.

“I’m not…” He grabs it off the bed. “Yeah, sorry, not in the mood to talk tonight. Over and out.”

 

 _Day 22_

“So what I’m saying is, let’s just do it ad-lib.” Colin gestures. “I mean, pretend we’re Merlin and Arthur, and the situation is that Lancelot’s back and Gwen’s making eyes at him again. But there’s no script.”

“No script.”

“Yeah.” Colin’s brows knit. On the table, the camera whirs. “Just… go with it. Bradley, are you all right?”

“Well, I don’t know, _Merlin_. My brand new wife, the love of my life, the heart of my heart, is plainly ogling another man. How in the world do you think I feel?”

Colin schools his features in an instant. He approaches the table and stops, and hand reaching. “She loves you. She’s _in_ love with you. You know that.”

Bradley scowls. “She’s in love with me? She doesn’t even know me.”

Colin’s expression is not his own, and yet it is. He touches Bradley’s arm, squeezes with his fingers.

Bradley shakes him off. “And where were _you_ , anyway?”

“I… What do you mean?”

Bradley doesn’t even know, but apparently Arthur does. “One would think the king could rely on his manservant’s loyalty. Especially in the face of this.”

Colin spreads his arms. “I’ve done nothing disloyal to you, Arthur.”

Bradley goes on without acknowledging. “One would _think_ you’d stand at my side, show some allegiance, not renew old acquaintances.”

“Lancelot is my friend, too.”

“Oh, god, don’t I know it, Merlin.” It’s coming so naturally, not his words at all, almost. The impotent feeling froths. “Don’t I know it.”

“Arthur…” Colin looks unsure. “What’s wrong? Have I done something wrong?”

Bradley stands up, scraping the chair back, and sees Colin’s eyes widen. “Can’t you just magic him away, Merlin? Just snap your fingers and send him to the bottom of the sea. Remove the damned temptation.” He snaps his own fingers in Colin’s face. “Oh, that’s right. He’s your _friend_.”

Colin inhales slowly. Meets Bradley’s eyes. “You’re my friend first, Arthur. First and always.”

Bradley stares back for too long. “You know what, I don’t think I can do this today. Sorry, Colin.”

He leaves the camera running and exits the room.

*

 _U alrite? :(_ says the text.

 _Im good,_ Bradley sends back, and shuts off his phone.

 

 _Day 23_

“The truth is, boys and girls,” Bradley says to the wall, “I can’t record this because Colin’s got the camera. Also, I fucked up. Fourth wall went down, you know? Fuck.”

The wall of his room doesn’t whir or get unfocussed, or comment back. It’s just a wall. He wonders, if he told Colin these things, would the response really be any different?

 

 _Day 24_

Colin walks into his hotel room with the video camera and sits down on the bed, one leg up, the other off. “It wasn’t a date,” he says. “It was my friend visiting from Armagh.”

Bradley looks down at the little tape in his hand, turns beet red, and curses. He shuffles sideways, but Colin wraps a hand around his wrist and pulls him back. The camera’s on; Bradley can see the red light blinking. Colin peers at him through the eye piece for five silent seconds, zooms in and out, then settles the camera on the bedside table so that it’s facing them.

“I also really would have loved the Cold War Kids cds. Loved.” He turns to the camera, looks it right in the lens. “For the record.”

“Sorry, Col,” Bradley mutters.

“Should be.”

It stings. Bradley looks at Colin, incredulous.

Colin leans in until he’s nearly cross-eyed. “Never told me you were into guys.”

“And you never told me jack.” He can’t help it; sometimes his brain mutinies.

Colin blinks and pulls back a little. “I asked first.”

Bradley sighs and gets up. “Fine, Colin—”

Colin yanks him down, pushes him flat onto his back, sits astride him and kisses him full on the mouth. All in one motion. Bradley wishes he had seen it coming so that he could get past the whole processing part of it.

As it stands, Colin’s mouth is firm and warm. His lips taste like grapefruit juice and then his tongue tastes—like salad dressing. Balsamic vinaigrette. Bradley loves balsamic vinaigrette on his salad, and also on Colin. He kisses back as soon as he remembers how. It’s a survival mechanism: he’s not sure how long this is going to last.

Eventually Colin sits up. His knees press gently into Bradley’s ribs. He licks his lips and looks uncertain, like Bradley might throw him off the bed. Because _that’s_ going to happen.

“For the record, boys and girls,” Colin says, and right in the middle, his eyes get this glint that says he’s just balled up all his nerves and kicked them across the field, and any minute now, they’ll boomerang back. Now he just has to outrun them. He gets a hold on Bradley’s hand. His palm is sweaty and thin, and Bradley links their fingers. Colin’s shoulders hunch a little. “I’ve been dying to kiss Bradley James on the mouth.”

He flicks a glance at the camera. “And… everywhere else.”

“ _Colin._ Turn that off.”

~fin~


End file.
